Ven Pongal

VenPongal is a Semi Solid dish Usually prepared with Rice and Moong Dal.It is a Common and Popular Breakfast in Tamilnadu.Generally it is Served with Coconut Chutney and Sambhar.But in our side(Chidambaram)we usually Served with Eggplant Ghostu.MeduVada is an Excellent Combination for pongal.It Served as a Special Dish on Occasions like Wedding and also Prasadham during Margazhi Poojas.I Never liked Pongal in my Childhood.
It has been a challenge for my Mother to Make me to eat Pongal.After Marriage only i started to try this dish.Reasons are this can be done Quickly and easily and this is one of My husband's All Time Favorite dish.There are two methods you can prepare this dish,Seasoning After Cooking Rice and Dal and another is Reverse one.I like the Second method only.Because you will get Full flavour in second method.I am sending this one to Priya's RCI-Kongunadu Vegetarian Cuisine.

Ingredients:

Rice-1 cup
Moon Dal-1/2 cup
Whole Black Pepper-1 tsp
Cumin/Jeera-1 tsp
Green chilli-3(Finely chopped)
Ginger-1/4 inch(Finely chopped)
Ghee-5 tsp
Cashews-10
Hing-pinch
Curry leaves
Salt-To taste

Preparation method:

1. Heat the ghee,add Jeera,pepper,Cashews,Ginger,chilli,Curry leaves and hing.
2. Remove from heat when Cashews are Roasted.
3. Wash rice and Dal,Add 4 cups of water and Required salt.
4. Add the Above mixture with rice and Dal,Mix well.
5. Pressure cook for 10 whistles or keep it in Rice cooker.
6. Once it's cooked mix well and Serve Hot.

Grilled Lemon Basil Pesto Pizza

Grilled Lemon Basil Pesto Pizza

The super markets here are all well stacked with merchandise and produce, to satisfy the needs of the cosmopolitan people of the city. A visit to one of these stores triggers off our imagination and inspires us to decide on the dinner menu then and there! On once such taste-bud- inspired occasion, my daughter-in-law picked up a packet of ready made pizza dough and prepared a mouth watering family sized Grilled Lemon Basil Pesto Pizza for us.

Pesto is a kind of 'Italian chutney' or paste that comes from the word pesta meaning to 'pound' or 'crush'. A Pesto is a combination of ingredients -- usually few strong flavored leaves or herbs, some garlic, and olive oil pounded together. At times cheese and nuts are added as well. This flavoursome paste can then be added to a variety of dishes such as pastas, soups or even used as a spread with bread.

To prepare Lemon Basil Pesto
Ingredients
Lemon Basil Leaves – 2 cups
Onion – 1 big
Garlic – 1 clove
Pine nuts – 1 cup
Olive oil – 4 tbsps
Salt and pepper – to taste
Method:
1. Gently roast pine nuts and keep aside.
2. Chop onion and garlic.
3. Wash and shred basil.
4. Blend all the ingredients to a coarse paste.
5. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and a dash of limejuice if you like, and give it one more swirl in the blender.
6. Store Pesto in a clean, dry container.
Refrigeration will keep the pesto fresh for up to three days.

To Prepare Pizza Topping
Ingredients

Green bell pepper – 1
Yellow bell pepper – 1
Red bell pepper –1
Onion – 1
Tomatoes – 1 red and 1 yellow
Mushrooms – a few
Jalapeno slices – to taste (If you like it spicy)
Fresh Lemon basil – for garnishing
Method
1. Cut all the peppers into halves.
2. Cut the onions into cubes.
3. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and wash.
4. Clean, grease and pre heat the grill.
5.Arrange the onion cubes on the skewers.
6. Place all the vegetables except the tomato slices directly on the grill
8. Grill the vegetables till they are tender and crisp
9. Cut the grilled peppers and mushrooms into long slices and toss them in a spoon of warm olive oil along with the grilled onions. This makes the vegetables succulent
10. Slice the tomatoes (not very thin ) and set aside.

To Prepare Pizza
Ingredients
Ready-made pizza dough - 1 packet
Pesto and Topping prepared above
Grated Pepper Jack cheese – 1 to 2 cups as required.
Method

1. My daugther-in-law used the back of a baking tray to spread the pizza dough. Grease the back of a baking tray and sprinkle little flour evenly. This will prevent the dough from sticking.
2. Place the dough in the middle of the prepared tray and start patting evenly using fingers. Patting the dough on the backside of the tray helps to slide the pizza easily on to the grill.
3. Pat the dough and shape it into an even, moderately thick (about ¾ inches), rectangular or oblong pizza. 4. Gently slide the pizza directly on to the prepared grill, cover and cook, opening to check now and then, till the dough puffs up here and there.
5. Lift up the pizza with a spatula and check if it is brown and crusty enough. 6. When the pizza is done flip it to the other side.
7. Now apply a thick layer of Pesto on top of the pizza. 8. Arrange the grilled and cut vegetables, tomato slices and jalapeno on top. 9. Garnish with freshly chopped up basil.
10. Top the pizza with as much grated cheese as you wish with a sprinkle of pepper and salt.
11. Cover again and cook till the cheese melts.
It is a lot of fun and quality time spent together, when all the family members come together to prepare the huge family sizes Pesto Pizza. We did enjoy every bite of it with a good helping of tomato ketchup, chilly sauce and mustard sauce as desired.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Here my first attempt on making cupcakes. I would normally make muffins however I was tempted by Piggy's cupcakes as it looks very pretty and yummy! I didn't manage to make it pretty due to my poor decoration and piping skills. I should buy some ready decoration fondant next time.

Anyway, I'm very surprise with the texture, it's very soft and fluffy. I reduced 3/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, it taste just nice for me. Thanks Piggy's sharing the recipe and tips. I like this cupcakes very much and definitely will make it as a gift for my friends and love ones.

INGREDIENTS (recipe from CB's blog)
Makes 12 cupcakes (I make 9 cupcakes)
For the cupcake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk (I used milk)
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

For the glaze:
3 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Fit the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan with paper muffin cups, or butter them with flour and tap out the excess.
2. To make the cupcakes—Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until it is blended into the butter. Add the egg, then the yolk, beating 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Beat in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear. Scrape down the bowl and add the buttermilk, mixing until incorporated, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Scrape down the bowl, add the melted chocolate and mix it in with the rubber spatula. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.
3. Bake for 22 minutes, or until the tops of the cakes are dry and springy to the touch and a knife inserted into their centers comes out clean. Transfer the muffin pan to a rack and let the cakes cool for 5 minutes before unmolding. Cool to room temperature on the rack before glazing.
4. To make the glaze—Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water. Transfer the bowl to the counter and let stand for 5 minutes.
   Using a small whisk or rubber spatula, stir the confectioners’ sugar into the chocolate, followed by the pieces of cold butter. The glaze may be very thin at this point or may be perfectly spreadable. If it is too thin to spread or use as a dip (I often dip the tops of the cakes into the ganache, then give the cakes a little twirl as I pull them out, so they have a squiggle of glaze in the center), stir it over ice water for a few seconds – really less than a minute. With a small metal icing spatula, give each cupcake a crown of shiny ganache, and let the glaze set at room temperature (or in the fridge if you are in a hurry). If the ganache loses its gloss and you miss it, give the tops of the cakes a puff of hot air from a hairdryer right before serving.